UAE: DWTC awards $197m One Central contract to AFC

One Central (pictured above) will be situated between Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Emirates Towers.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has awarded the $197m (AED725m) contract for Phase 1A6 of One Central to Al Futtaim Carillion (AFC).

The latest phase of One Central, which boasts a built-up area of 182,500m2, comprises two grade-A office buildings of eight and 12 storeys.

The contract for Phase 1A6 will commence this month, and is scheduled to complete before the end of 2018.

AFC has already completed Phase 1A2 of One Central, and is currently delivering the contract for Phase 1A5. The latest award takes the overall value of AFC’s contracts for the project to $490m (AED1.8bn).

Commenting on the latest contract award, Richard Howson, chief executive of Carillion, said: “We are delighted to have been selected for Phase 1A6, which is the third phase of the One Central development, where we continue to see good opportunities coming to market for which our capabilities and reputation for delivering to high standards of quality, safety, and reliability are important to customers.

“We look forward to continuing our close relationship with Dubai World Trade Centre to deliver this important development.”

Gurjit Singh, senior vice president of real estate for DWTC, added: “We are pleased to continue working with Al Futtaim Carillion, which has successfully delivered the [Phase 1A2] offices that are now operational and almost fully leased.

One Central’s offices have achieved LEED Gold precertification from the US Green Building Council. The project’s technologies and infrastructure are aligned with the Dubai government’s Smart City strategic agenda, according to DWTC.

“Through One Central’s free-zone status, under Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, we are uniquely positioned to propose a professionally managed destination that is conducive to business,” said Singh. “As demonstrated by the resounding success of the leasing of our Phase 1 offices, One Central serves as a strong incentive for blue-chip multinationals to headquarter their regional bases in Dubai.”